A smooth movie date

14th January 2017

Aviel messaged Wakeyo about her desire to indulge in a movie date, taking place in no place else other than the presidential palace's TV room. Long abandoned to gather dust and fade into obscurity due to superstitious fears, the place has since been given a fresh makeover, with tastefully colourful wallpaper and bright lights illuminating the comfy haven. The windows had been replaced and a high-quality, quiet AC system installed to keep the occupants cool in the African heat.

There was the option of simply visiting a public theatre if they remained ordinary civilians, but theatres in Liberia consisted of one big screen and a mob of people just sitting in front of it, nothing like the orderly cookie-cut rows of plush seats and a comfy air-conditioned room isolated from outside interferences. That, and there was the problem of their popularity; the last time she attended a public rally celebrating her inaguration as president, she was instantly swarmed with admirers and supporters who cheered for her such that the streets were choked with pedestrians, and she had to quickly leave to avoid jamming the streets for long.

Dressed in her pajamas, she saw Wakeyo waiting for her, also dressed in pajamas and holding a bowl of popcorn in one hand, bottled drinks on a table next to the sofa facing the wide-screen TV.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting," Aviel said with a smile.

"Nah, you didn't; I just stole initiative in watching this brand-new movie," Wakeyo smiled cheekily.

Aviel rolled her eyes, "As if you would do that on our date. So, what movie have you picked for us?"

Flashing a smile of pride and confidence, Wakeyo took out the box and showed her the cover of a quintessentially old yet timeless masterpiece that defined the fantasy genre.

"Lord of the Rings?" Seriously?" Questioned Aviel with a wry smile.

"It's a timeless classic, you uncultured barbarian," Wakeyo said with mock-offense, ruined by his knowing smile, "You have not lived life without watching the trilogy at least once or twice."

"You do realise I was never one for fantasy movies?" Aviel countered, "I'd prefer movies like Star Trek, Terminator, Die Hard, Fast and Furious and so on."

"All hard action and no fantasy, you're no fun," Wakeyo cheekily poked her in the cheek, "Anyway, for any trilogy you need to start from the beginning - The Fellowship of the Ring. I even got the extended edition."

Aviel rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa as Wakeyo inserted the DVD into the player, and as the TV started playing the movie, Wakeyo passed her the bowl of popcorn - chocolate-flavoured, just the way she liked it.

It can't be that good of a movie, can it?

A full three hours later, Aviel was left sniffing in tears as the movie rolled towards the credits, the ethereal lyrics of the movie soundtracks never failing to elicit strong emotions from her heart.

"God, this movie gets me every time," Wakeyo sniffed, "Have to give credit to Tolkien and Peter Jackson."

"Yeah, like you said," Aviel smiled, "I think I might have to rethink fantasy movies from now on."

"For me, Lord of the Rings always takes the cake, but there are other good modern fantasy works out there," Wakeyo suggested, a triumphant smirk on his lips, "There's games, there's TV shows, and then of course we have magnificent works from Japan like Fire Emblem and-"

"Wait, you watch anime?" Aviel questioned, "I didn't take you for an anime nerd."

"The proper term is 'otaku', Aviel," Wakeyo winked, "Please know your culture well."

Aviel rolled her eyes and groaned, "And you can stop waving that 'I'm the most cultured being in the world' card in my face, thank you very much. And I'll be honest: I did watch a few anime shows, but that was a long time ago during my childhood."

"Let me guess: Doraemon? Crayon Shin-Chan?" Questioned Wakeyo.

"More or less," Aviel shrugged, "Of course, I just didn't watch anymore once I started growing up."

"Woman, that is a complete waste; there's plenty of great anime and manga buried beneath a whole pile of mediocre works, you just need to invest time and money to find 'em," Wakeyo beamed brightly, "Then there's great Japanese games you ought to try: Final Fantasy, Patapon, Tactics Ogre, Drakengard, Bayonetta, Monster Hunter-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Aviel interrupted, though she smiled with a sigh, "Maybe I'll give them a try when I have time."

"Make sure to invite, okay? I'd love to show you the ropes," Wakeyo said.

"And make sure to set up the next Lord of the Rings movie for me next week. Same day, same time," Aviel added.

"You got it," Wakeyo said, "So, you... you're going back to your room?"

Aviel made no move towards the door, instead leaning closer into Wakeyo's body.

"I... won't mind staying the night in your room," Aviel answered.